Strengthen your Iman this Ramadan

From time to time, all Muslims need an Iman boost. With the blessed month of Ramadan upon us, there is no better time than now for Muslims to rekindle their Iman in order to reconnect the best way we can with our Creator. Here are some tips on how we can boost our Iman and get our spiritual focus during this Ramadan.

“The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion.” [Qur’an: Chapter 2, Verse 185]

This ayah encompasses what the Qur’an is really for: proof and guidance. Once we believe in Allah and the Prophet Mohammed, we look to the Qur’an and Sunnah for guidance on how to maximize our good deeds and gain the pleasure of our Creator.

Now think about it: when you want to get close to a person, you try to be there as often as possible to spend quality time with them. You will ensure you catch on to every word they say in order to understand what they are conveying. This example does not do justice as our relationship with Allah is incomparable to that which we have with other human beings; however, when we seek to be close to Him, we should focus on spending quality time as often as possible with His Book.

In Ramadan, many of us attempt to do just that. We start Ramadan full of energy and eagerness to remove distractions so we can give our undivided attention to developing our faith and understanding. Some people struggle to find this excitement because they have no idea where to start. Even those who start off zealous see a decline in this enthusiasm as the days go by.

First thing to do about this: you must remember to consistently ask Allah to guide your mind and heart to have a pure understanding of His Words. Equally, it is vital to check and renew your intentions for reading, memorizing and pondering over the Qur’an.

“The deeds are considered by the intentions, and a person will get the reward according to his intention.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

This famous hadith is one that provides comfort to those who struggle to grasp the language and/or skill of reciting and understanding of the Qur’an. In sha Allah, with sincere intentions, Allah will help you succeed in your goals and reward you abundantly for them.

When thinking about how we should approach the Qur’an in Ramadan, there are three main areas to focus on: reciting, memorizing and reflecting/internalizing.

When reciting the Qur’an, it is advisable to set goals and make a schedule…

Everyone’s lives are different; some are full-time employees while others are students or stay-at-home parents. Regardless of your circumstances, you should not fall into despair at the idea of “lack of time” to recite the Qur’an. The quality of the time you spend with the Qur’an is far more important than the quantity. That being said, ensure you formulate a schedule that is suitable for what you are occupied with during Ramadan. Have it written down in your diary. Base this around your goals; “do you want to complete the entire Qur’an once? Or more? Do you want to focus more on perfecting your Tajweed than reciting long portions? Whatever the case may be, having a written plan will help ensure you regularly review and hit these goals, Insha Allah.

Try to be regular when reciting the Qur’an this Ramadan. We must be realistic with how much we are able to complete or do, given our own circumstances. However, it is important to remember the following statement:

-The Prophet was asked, “What deeds are loved most by Allah?” He said, “The most regular constant deeds even though they may be few.” He added, ‘Don’t take upon yourselves, except the deeds which are within your ability.” [Bukhari].

So, be regular in your recitation, even if it is 10 minutes (or 1-2 pages) a day. This will ensure you are making time for the Qur’an on a daily basis, rather than just when you feel you have an hour to spare. The regular 10 minutes can make a tremendous difference to your recitation abilities, understanding of the Qur’an and general spiritual well-being. Having a set amount per day will help you steadily reach your goal Insha Allah.

If you are not used to reciting regularly or feel you will not stick to your goals and schedule, find a companion to worship with. Having someone else to recite with has many benefits. Not only are you helping each other regularly gain the reward of remembering Allah, you are also able to help one another with recitation and other goals Insha Allah.

When reciting, try to find somewhere quiet. When you are in a place that is too disruptive to focus on your reading, you are less likely to benefit. Respect the time you have with the Qur’an and remove yourself from anything that will distract you or make it difficult for your recitation sitting. When you recite the Qur’an, make your recitation as beautiful as you can, because the Prophet said:

“Make your voices beautiful when you recite Quran.” [Nasa’i]

Try and make du’a during this Ramadan. In order to attain any aspiration, we must seek guidance and assistance of Allah as everything is granted by His will alone. When it comes to memorizing portions of the Qur’an, a great deal of patience and self-discipline is required. It also requires you to remain modest and humble with your achievements. All of these qualities are what we should continuously ask Allah to help us develop and maintain. It is by His will that we are able to commit His words to memory, so always remember to turn to Him when things are difficult or not going the way you planned. Insha Allah, with this in mind, you will grow tremendously and attain your Qur’an memorization goals Insha Allah.

Try and set a steady pace. Whether you plan to memorize the entire Qur’an or just one Surah, be sure to have a calm and structured pace to completing the memorization. Often, we begin full of energy and try to sprint to the end. Rather, we should treat our journey with the Qur’an like a marathon where we want our energy to be constant over a long period of time. In other words, we don’t want to burn ourselves out half way through memorizing a particular surah or portion of the Qur’an. Have a steady approach and don’t push yourself too quickly.

Listen to reciters repeatedly. Frequently hearing the Qur’an plays a significant role in committing it to memory. Find reciters who have a clear tone and recite at a slow to moderate speed so that you can hear the correct pronunciation to help you with your memorization goals. The more often you hear the words, the more likely they are to stick in your memory, Insha Allah.

Dedicate time to revision. Be sure to leave adequate time to recall and revise Ayaat and Surahs you have previously memorized. memorise more of the Qur’an, this should not be done at the expense of forgetting what you have already committed to memory. Be regular in your revision, be it 10-15 minutes a day or a whole day outside of your memorization timetable. Additionally, regularly recite the various Surahs you know by heart in Salah or in the car or while you cook or do chores, for example, varying between them as this is a beneficial way to keep them fresh in your mind, Insha Allah.

Try to reflect and internalize by reading translation and Tafsir. While the rewards are immense for reciting the Qur’an, we need to ensure we understand what we have read.

It was reported by Abdullah Ibn Masud regarding the Salaf: “When a man amongst us learned ten verses [of the Qur’an], he would not move on [to the next verses] until he had understood their meanings and how to act by them.” [Al-Tabari].
This Ramadan make sure you leave time to read the translation and tafsir of the portion you have recited. Ideally, if this is done during or straight after reciting, you will be able to reflect upon and internalize what you have just read. This also helps you develop a better relationship with the Qur’an, as you are fully aware of what it is that you have read. Give equal importance to reading texts, such as Ibn Kathir’s tafsir (or any other authentic tafsir or commentary you find easy or prefer) as you are reciting.
Record your reflections. Make it a habit to spend some time thinking about the lessons you have learnt from the Surahs you read each day. Make a list of them so you are able to look back over them as the days pass. Even if it is something that you have read and understood previously, refreshing your mind about lessons presented in the Qur’an is a good way to ensure you are retaining the details.
Try to make changes in your life. Following on from reflection, after reading and understanding lessons from the Qur’an, it is highly important to think of ways we can implement what we have learnt of the Qur’an, as that is the ultimate purpose of it being revealed. Taking the list described above, it is a good idea to jot down how you can make active changes in your life as a result of this.
Be proactive and determined to apply the Qur’an into your life. Develop your character based on the Qur’an. Always remember the words of A’ishah when she was asked about the Prophet’s character:
“Do you not recite the Qura’n? The character of the Messenger of Allah… was the Qur’an.” [Abu Dawud]
There are many different lessons that we will come across when studying the Qur’an. Some may appear simple and straightforward for us to comprehend, while others may require us to ponder over them for some time. Ask Allah to help you improve your understanding and succeed in being active in changing your life based on lessons you learn from the Qur’an. It cannot be stressed enough the importance of turning to Allah to help you succeed in this quest to strengthen your Iman and character through studying the Qur’an.
May this Ramadan be one in which our hearts absorb the teachings of the Qur’an and our limbs act upon it. For Muslims, may the Qur’an become a fixed constant in our life as our primary source of strength and guidance, Insha Allah. Ramadan Kareem.